Paris — Travel Guide for Planning Your Trip
Paris rewards travellers who land prepared — timed museum tickets booked, a métro app ready and a Paris eSIM already installed, so data works the moment you step off the plane at CDG or Orly. The City of Light squeezes world-class museums, village-like hilltop quarters and legendary food into a compact core stitched together by one of Europe's densest metro networks. Give it four days at the very least; you will still leave planning the return trip. If Rome is also on your route, see our Rome travel guide.
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Where to stay in Paris
Le Marais (3rd-4th arrondissements)
The city's most atmospheric central district: medieval lanes, the Place des Vosges, independent boutiques and café terraces on every corner. You can walk to Notre-Dame, the Seine and the Louvre, which makes it the best all-round base for a first visit — just expect boutique-hotel prices to match.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th)
Classic Left Bank elegance — literary cafés like Café de Flore, art galleries and the Luxembourg Gardens on your doorstep. It is polished, safe and central, and priced accordingly; ideal for a romantic or more grown-up stay.
Latin Quarter (5th)
The Sorbonne's student quarter keeps prices slightly friendlier than neighbouring Saint-Germain, with lively food streets around Rue Mouffetard. Central, walkable and full of cheap eats — the trade-off is some evening noise on the busiest lanes.
Montmartre (18th)
A hilltop village of steep staircases, artists' squares and sweeping views from Sacré-Cœur. Wonderfully romantic, but count on a 20-30 minute métro ride to most big sights, and the blocks around Pigalle stay noisy late into the night.
Canal Saint-Martin & République (10th-11th)
Where young Parisians actually spend their evenings: canal-side aperitifs, indie coffee shops and some of the city's best-value restaurants. Hotels cost noticeably less than in the Marais, and the métro lines meeting at République reach everything fast.
Top attractions in Paris
Eiffel Tower
No monument on earth is photographed more, yet the Eiffel Tower still surprises in person — especially at night, when it sparkles for five minutes every hour. Book a timed summit or second-floor ticket weeks ahead, or climb the stairs to skip the worst queues. The Trocadéro terrace across the river gives the classic head-on view.
Louvre Museum
The world's most-visited museum could swallow a week; pick one wing and make peace with missing the rest. Enter via the Carrousel du Louvre to dodge the pyramid queue, and remember it closes on Tuesdays. In high season a timed ticket is effectively mandatory.
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Reopened in December 2024 after the great restoration, the cathedral's blond stone and rebuilt spire look better than they have in centuries. Entry is free, but reserving a timed slot online spares you a long line on the square. Pair it with Sainte-Chapelle, five minutes away on the same island.
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
Climb (or take the funicular) to the white basilica for the best free panorama in Paris, then get lost in the lanes where Picasso and Van Gogh once worked. Come before 10am to see Place du Tertre without the crowds, and eat a street or two back from the main square.
Musée d'Orsay
A Beaux-Arts railway station turned home of the world's greatest Impressionist collection — Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir and Degas under one vaulted glass roof. It is far more digestible than the Louvre in a single visit. The fifth-floor clock window is the museum's most famous photo spot.
Sainte-Chapelle
Fifteen-metre walls of 13th-century stained glass turn this royal chapel into a kaleidoscope whenever the sun is out — many visitors rate it above Notre-Dame itself. It is small, so a visit takes under an hour. Book online; the security queue moves much faster with a timed ticket.
Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Élysées
Napoleon's arch anchors the world's most famous avenue, and its rooftop arguably beats the Eiffel Tower for views — because the tower itself is in them. Use the pedestrian underpass to reach the arch; never try to cross the twelve-lane roundabout. Walk the Champs-Élysées once, then explore the smarter side streets.
Palace of Versailles
The Sun King's palace is the day trip everyone should make once: the Hall of Mirrors, the endless gardens and Marie Antoinette's toy village. Take RER C about 40 minutes from central Paris and arrive before opening — by 11am the state apartments are shoulder to shoulder. The gardens are free on non-fountain days.
Where to eat
Classic bistros & bouillons
- Bouillon ChartierAn 1896 workers' canteen turned institution — French classics at almost cafeteria prices; the queue looks scary but moves fast.
- Bistrot Paul BertThe textbook Paris bistro: steak au poivre, a chalkboard menu and a packed room every night — book ahead.
- Le Comptoir du RelaisYves Camdeborde's tiny, beloved Saint-Germain bistro; go at lunch for the best walk-in odds.
- Brasserie LippA brasserie since 1880, once Hemingway's haunt — choucroute, oysters and gloriously old-school waiters.
- Chez JanouA Provençal bistro near Place des Vosges, famous for the help-yourself bowl of chocolate mousse.
Bakeries & street food
- Du Pain et des IdéesCult bakery by Canal Saint-Martin; the pistachio-chocolate 'escargot' pastry is the order.
- PoilâneBaking its famous sourdough miche since 1932; the tiny 'punitions' butter cookies make perfect gifts.
- L'As du FallafelThe Marais falafel legend on Rue des Rosiers — closed Saturdays, with a serious line on Sundays.
- Breizh CaféBuckwheat galettes and salted-caramel crêpes from a celebrated Breton team.
Coffee & brunch
- Café de FloreThe most famous literary café in Paris; you pay for the history and people-watching, not the coffee.
- Ten BellesA pioneer of the city's specialty-coffee wave, steps from Canal Saint-Martin.
- HolybellyThe city's benchmark brunch — pancakes, eggs and no-nonsense service near République.
- FragmentsA tiny Marais coffee bar with serious espresso and a cult brunch plate.
Shopping
Paris invented the department store, and shopping here still spans the full spectrum — couture flagships on Avenue Montaigne, grand magasins under Art Nouveau domes, flea markets and centuries-old food streets. The sales ('les soldes') run twice a year, roughly through January and from late June into July.
Malls
What to buy
Macarons from Ladurée or Pierre Hermé, French pharmacy skincare, perfume, vacuum-packed cheese and wine from a proper fromagerie or épicerie, and vintage designer pieces from the Marais resale shops.
Browse the green bouquiniste boxes along the Seine for prints and old books, hit the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market at the weekend, graze your way down food street Rue Montorgueil, and finish at concept store Merci in the Marais.
Best time to visit
April to June and September to mid-October are the sweet spot: mild weather, long evenings and the gardens at their best — though these are also busy months. July is hot and crowded; in August many family-run bistros and boutiques close for the holidays, but the city feels calmer and hotel prices dip. November to March is low season — grey and short days, yet the museums are blissfully quiet and the Christmas illuminations are worth the cold. Summer heatwaves do happen, so air conditioning is worth the extra euros in July and August.
Parks & nature
Jardin du Luxembourg
The Left Bank's living room: chess players, pony rides, toy sailboats on the pond and the prettiest lawns in the city. The famous green metal chairs are free — claim one facing the Medici Fountain.
Jardin des Tuileries
The formal garden linking the Louvre to Place de la Concorde — perfect for a breather between museums. In summer a funfair adds a giant Ferris wheel with lovely views over the rooftops.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
A dramatic 19th-century park in the north-east with cliffs, a suspension bridge, a waterfall and a temple perched on a peak. This is where locals picnic at the weekend, a world away from tourist Paris.
Coulée Verte René-Dumont
The world's first elevated park — it inspired New York's High Line — running almost five kilometres along a former railway viaduct from Bastille. A lovely green walk above the streets of the 12th arrondissement.
Getting there
Paris has two main airports. Charles de Gaulle (CDG), 25 km north-east of the centre, is linked to town by RER B trains (~35 minutes to Gare du Nord, ~€13), the Roissybus to Opéra (~60-75 minutes, ~€16) and official taxis at fixed rates (~€56 to the Right Bank, ~€65 to the Left Bank). Orly (ORY), 14 km south, is now the easier of the two: métro line 14 runs direct to the centre in about 25 minutes (~€13), while taxis cost a flat ~€36-44. Eurostar and other high-speed trains arrive right in the city at Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon, a short métro or taxi hop from most hotels.
Getting around Paris
Métro & RER
Sixteen métro lines plus RER express trains cover virtually every corner of the city; trains run roughly 05:30-01:15, an hour later on weekend nights. Since the 2025 fare reform one flat ticket covers métro and trains across the whole region — load tickets onto a Navigo Easy card or straight into your phone.
- Métro/train single ticket
- ~€2.50
- Bus & tram single ticket
- ~€2.00
- Navigo day pass
- ~€12
- Airport ticket (CDG/Orly)
- ~€13
Bus & tram
Slower but scenic — bus route 69 passes the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Bastille for a fraction of a tour-bus fare. Buses and trams use the cheaper ~€2 ticket, and Noctilien night buses fill the gap after the métro closes.
Vélib' bike share
Around 20,000 bikes, many electric, wait at some 1,400 stations, and the city now has well over 1,000 km of bike lanes. Short-term passes cost a few euros a day via the Vélib' app — riding the car-free Seine banks is a highlight in itself.
Walking
Central Paris is surprisingly compact: Notre-Dame to the Louvre is a 20-minute stroll, and the riverside walk from the Marais to the Eiffel Tower takes about 90 minutes. Many visitors end up using the métro far less than they planned.
Internet & eSIM in Paris
Paris is served by four mobile networks — Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile — with fast 4G and widespread 5G across all twenty arrondissements. Coverage extends underground too: 4G works in most métro stations and on much of the network between them, as well as inside the big department stores, museums and the La Défense towers. Expect only brief dips in the deepest RER tunnels and a few older sections of the underground.
Arriving at Charles de Gaulle after a long flight, the last thing you want is another queue: immigration lines at CDG can already stretch past half an hour at peak times, and the SIM counters and vending machines in the terminals add a further wait at airport prices. Buying a physical SIM at a French operator shop in town also means showing ID and filling in paperwork. With an eSIM installed in advance there is nothing to collect, register or configure at either CDG or Orly — you walk straight past the kiosks to the RER or the métro.
The simplest approach is a travel eSIM set up before you fly: install it at home in a couple of minutes with a QR code, and it activates automatically the moment your plane touches down in Paris. You keep your home SIM active for calls and banking apps, pay no roaming fees, and have data from the arrivals hall onwards — for maps, métro tickets in your phone, taxi apps and sharing that first Eiffel Tower photo. Browse current data packs on the France eSIM plans page before you fly.
Practical tips
- Book Eiffel Tower and Louvre tickets weeks ahead — and remember the Louvre closes on Tuesdays, while Versailles and the Orsay close on Mondays.
- Watch your phone and pockets on métro line 1 and around the big sights; ignore anyone offering a 'petition' or a friendship bracelet.
- Always say 'Bonjour' when entering a shop or café — it genuinely changes how you are treated.
- Coffee at the counter costs less than at a table, and terrace seats can carry a further surcharge.
- Ask for 'une carafe d'eau' — tap water is free in every restaurant.
- Many national museums are free on the first Sunday of the month — check each museum's calendar and expect crowds.
- Skip paper tickets: load fares onto a Navigo Easy card or straight into your phone via the Île-de-France Mobilités app.
- In August many family-run bakeries, bistros and boutiques close for the holidays — the big sights stay open and the city is quieter.
FAQ
Which eSIM works best in Paris?
A travel eSIM that runs on France's major networks — Orange, SFR or Bouygues Telecom — gives you fast 4G/5G everywhere tourists go, from the Louvre to Versailles. AviaeSIM's France plans install in minutes with a QR code before you fly and activate on landing, so you skip the airport SIM counters entirely. Pick the data size by trip length; the plans cover the whole country, not just Paris.
Does the eSIM work on the Paris métro?
Yes. 4G coverage now reaches most métro stations and large parts of the tunnels between them, so maps, messaging and streaming keep working underground for most of a typical journey. You may hit brief dead spots on the deepest RER sections and a few older lines. Save your route offline before longer trips as a backup and you will rarely notice a gap.
How do I get from CDG airport to central Paris?
The RER B train is the best-value fast option: around 35 minutes to Gare du Nord for roughly €13, with departures every few minutes for most of the day. The Roissybus runs to Opéra in about an hour (~€16). Official taxis charge fixed rates — about €56 to the Right Bank and €65 to the Left Bank — from marked ranks outside each terminal; ignore any driver who approaches you inside.
Can I pay by card everywhere in Paris?
Almost everywhere. Contactless cards and phone wallets are accepted in cafés, taxis, museums, bakeries and most market stalls, with no minimum in larger shops. Keep a little cash for the occasional small bakery, market vendor or public toilet. Your bank may add foreign-transaction fees, so a fee-free travel card is worth setting up before the trip.
Do I need to tip in Paris?
No — a 15% service charge is included in every restaurant bill by law ('service compris'), so tipping is optional. Locals round up or leave €1-2 for good café service, and perhaps 5-10% for an excellent dinner. Nobody will chase you for a tip, and card terminals do not prompt for one. A few euros for hotel porters or a great guide is a kind touch.
Is Paris safe for tourists?
Yes — violent crime against visitors is rare, and central Paris stays busy late into the evening. The real risks are pickpockets and street scams: crowded métro line 1, the Eiffel Tower lawns and the Sacré-Cœur steps are hotspots, so keep phones zipped away. Ignore petition clipboards, 'found gold ring' tricks and bracelet weavers. At night stick to lit main streets, as in any big city.
Do I need to book Paris attractions in advance?
For the big three, absolutely: the Eiffel Tower summit, the Louvre and Versailles sell out days or even weeks ahead in high season, and timed entry is the norm. Notre-Dame is free, but a reserved slot skips the line. Sainte-Chapelle, the Orsay and the Arc de Triomphe are usually fine booked the same week. Buy directly on the official sites to avoid resold markups.